Self-locking hinge



July 2; 1940 J. LUDWIG 'ET A1. i 2,206,326

SELF-LOCKING HINGE Filed May l0, 1937 INVENTUM.

Patented July 2, 1940 UNITED STATES i i i SELF-LOCKING HINGE John Ludwig and `George M. Gebhardt, Detroit,

Mlch.

`Applieaimn May ro, 1937, serial No. 141,60?,`

` s claims.` (c1. 16g-16s) y l metal and extending at right angles of each other.

Our invention relates to a new and useful C improvement in a self-locking hinge` adapted `for mounting a swingable body on a stationary body in such a manner that when the swingable I closure swings into open position, the hinge autol matically will lock itself inopen position.

. i Another object of the presentinvention is the provision of a hinge of this "classso arranged and constructed that after it is `move-dto open position and locked in open position, a very slight movement in a direction other than the closing direction will release the `hinge for movement to closed position.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a hinge oi this class so constructed `andarranged that in its initial movement to `open position, it will move bodily carrying with it a swingable pivot and after a slight `bodily movement swing on anarc determined by more than one pivot of swinging.

Another object of the present invention isthe ,l provision of a. hinge of this class which will be Iof Fig; 1.

simple in structure, economicall of manufacture,

durable, highly eioient in use, compact, and 1 easily mounted in` position and removed therefrom. i

Other objects will appear hereinafter. i

i The invention consists in thecombination and arrangement of the parts hereinafter `described and claimed and will` be best understood by a reference to the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational viewof the invention showing `it applied.

` Fig. 2` is a fragmentary, top plan View ofthe invention.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on `line 3-4-3 Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational viewof `the invention with parts broken away showing "the hinge in one position of movement. i

Fig. 5 is a side elevational View of the invention with parts broken away showing thefhinge in another position of movement. Fig. `6 is a side "elevational view of the invention with parts broken away showing the hinge in anotherposition of movement. In the drawing we have illustrated the invention used for mounting a swingable closure `l `on a stationary part 8 and inthe drawing we `have indicated a structure which is quite common on automobile bodies having a compartment atftherean closed by the swingable closure I which it is necessary toraise upwardly into a horizontal position in order to obtain access to the compartment. Extending across the edge of thestationary part 8 isa `channel iron 9.

The hinge comprises a stationary part which we have illustrated as being formed i L-shaped comprising the part I and the part H, these two parts being formed from a single piece of `The part I0 is secured by "the bolt I2 to the 'stationary supporting body 8. The swingable part of the hinge comprises a yoke arm I3 having the angularly turned `plate I4"at one end thereof `which is attached, by welding or in another lsuitable manner, to the swingable closure l. Pivotn Aally mounted at one of its ends to the stationary plate II` by meansof` a pintle Iis a link I6, the opposite end of which is `pivotally mounted by means of the pintle I 'I to the endl of the l arm it inwardly from its end, as clearly appears in Fig. 1'. In the construction` itthus appears thatthere is a double toggle linkage, the link lil and a portionoi the member i3 forming one the member `Il forming theother toggle.

InFigure l the hinge is" indicated in full lines in a position with the closure l fully closed, and in dotted lines itis indicated as being open. It Will be noted that when the closure is in closed toggle, and the link 2li and the same portion of position, the hinge will be iniV such a` position that thetoggle lying between the pivots I9; tl and I'I` will have moved inwardly past center land upon opening movement moves outwardly `past center.` If pressure is exerted uponl the `closure i to swing it to open position, an attempt torock the member I3 `oneither pivot II, or 2| alone would be resisted. Thusthearm i3 cannot rock on either of `these pivotsalone.` If outward pressure continues, the yoke arm or the movable section of the hinge I 3 will have to move and does move bodily outwardly, kthe link IIB being swung to theleft of the drawing on itspivot I5 and 4the link 2B being swung `tol'tlre left ofthe drawing on its pivot 'I 9 untilthe pivots I9, 2I, and I'I align on center. The yoke farm will thenswing on the `pivot II, the link I6 remaining momentarily stationary and the `link 20 `swinging until the toggle definedby the parts lying between the..` pivots I 9, 2I, and I'l moves past center, whereupon the link 2li will swing downwardly and the link i6 `will be swung inwardly until the pivots I5, Il, and 2l are aligned and as the toggle defined by these pivots swings past center, the link It will swingupwardly as will likewise the link 20, and at fully open position the link IB will engage? the abutment tongue 22: struck from the plate il. Further swinging oi the hinge into open position is re sisted when the hinge is in this position. The

toggle defined bythepins l5, l1, anaal nbroken to the right of the drawing and downward pressure on the member I 4 would have a tendency 1 to furtherswing the link Zilupwardly and to the right of the drawing. But this cannot take effect because the link I6 would also have toswing further upwardly and toward the right lao of the drawing and this swinging movement is resisted by the tongue 22. When the hinge is swung to the dotted line position lshown in Fig.

1, the yoke arm I3 cannot swing in a manner other than to effect farther upward swingingfof the pivot II, so that were the tongue 22 not present, further swinging of the hinge to open direction or pressure on the hinge toward closing position would effect a swinging of the link I6 farther upwardly kso that the pivot 2I1oi the toggle deiined by the pivots I9, .21, and I'I would pass center. In such a movement the inner end of the hinge would swing upwardly, make :a loop, andthen vswing downwardly.

In Fig. 4 the hinge movement is indicated in -the initial stage of bodily outwardly swinging of -th'e arm I3 prior to the complete alignment of the pivots I9, ZI, and I'I. Fig. 5 shows a further step in this swinging movement in which the pivots I5, VvI1, and 2I are in alignment and Fig. 6

indicates a 'further step showing the toggle defined by the links I5, I'I, and 2i broken to the right. In order to release the hinge for downward swinging movement, it is but necessary to exert force outwardly approximately onthe line determined b-y the pivots Il and 21|, this movement of the arm I3 serving 'to `release the Vt'oggles dened by pivots I5, I'I, and 2l, and by IIJ, 2i, and I1, whereupon the swinging of the closure to closed position may be easily effected.

'"In' swinging the yoke arm to the released position, the link I6, will swing on its pivot l5 and the link 2i) will swing on its pivot I9, and a very slight outward pressure is necessary in order to move the yclosure into such position.

With a hinge constructed in Ythis manner, the yoke arm I3 always swings ina defined arc so vas to Vclear the cross bars or channel iron 9, and the closure is always returned, when moved from open to closed position, to its original closing position. y

It is believed obvious that the durability and efiiciency of the invention referred to'is robtained Aand that a simple, easily operated structure of this type is provided.

While we yhave shown the preferred form of embodying the invention in a structure of lthis ltype, it is recognized that various modifications and changes may be made without departing rfrom the principle and spirit of the invention and we wish it understood'that such modiiications are Vcontemplated in this specification.

What we claim as new is: l. A hinge of the class described, adapted for mounting an upwardly swingable closure on a stationary body and for securing said closure in y.raised open position, said hinge comprising: a pair of hinge sections, one of said hinge sections nbeing fixedly mounted on said stationary body and vforming a stationary hinge section; a swingable Vhinge section mounted at one end on said closure; a pair of links each pivotally mounted at one end on said stationary hinge section' in spaced relation to each other; means for pivotally connecting the free endA of one of said 'links 'to the opposite end oi said swingable section; and yneans for connecting the free end of the other of said links adjacent said Aopposite end of said azoasac hinge section inwardly from the end thereof, the location of the pivotal points of said links on said stationary hinge section and the pivotal connection of said links to said swingable hinge section providing a plurality of toggles, the movement of sai-d closure to open position, breaking one vof said toggles beyondfcenter; and means cooperating with said toggle for resisting swinging movement of said closure from its raised open position. i

2. A hinge of the class described, adapted for mounting a swingable closure on a stationary body and comprising: a pair of hinge sections, one of said hinge sections being fixedly mounted on said stationary body and forming a stationary hinge section; a swingable hinge section mounted at one end on said closure; a pair of links each pivotally mounted at one end on said stationary hinge section in spaced relation to each other;

means for pivotally connecting the free end of one of said links to the opposite end of said swingable section; means for connecting the free end of the other of said links adjacent said opposite end of said hinge section inwardly from the of the same beyond center a predetermined distance.

3. A hinge of the class described, adapted for mounting a swingable closure on a stationary body comprising: a stationary hinge section and a swingable hinge section, said stationary hinge section being xedly mounted on said stationary body and one end of said swingable hinge section being xedly attached to the closure; a pair of links each pivotally mounted at one of 'its ends on said stationary hinge section in spaced relation to each other means for pivotally connecting the free end of one of the links to saidk opposite end of said swingable hinge section; means for connecting the free end of the other of said links to said swingable hingesec'tionadjacent the opposite end and inwardly therefrom, the points of connection of said links with said swingable hinge section being spaced apart "to` provide a toggle between the pivot of one of said links on said stationary section and the two pivotal points of the freeends of said links,"

said toggle being movedpast center immediately prior to the termination of the swinging of said closure to closed position and arranged to 'provide a second toggle `between the pivot of the other of said links on said stationary hinge section and the pivotal points of the free ends of said links, said second toggle being moved past center upon the swinging of said closure to open position; and means on said stationary section for 'limiting the swinging of said second toggle '65 after it has broken beyond center upon the swinging of said closure to open position 'for securing Vsaid closure in open position.

JOHN LUDWIG. vGEORGE `M. GEBHARDT. 

